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J. F. SHORT. PHOTOGRAPHIO PLATE HOLDER.

No. 600,179. Patented Mar. 8, 1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. SHORT, OF CALIFORNIA, MISSOURI.

PHOTOGRAPl-ilC-PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,179, dated March 8, 1898.

Application filed April 16, 1897. Serial No. 682,419. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. SHORT, a citizen of the United States, residing at California, in the county of Moniteau and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Plate-Holders and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devices for holding the dry-plates used in photographic cameras, the object being to provide in a simple and inexpensive manner a device of this character which is capable of receiving and holding securely varying sizes of plates. The parts are so arranged that they may be readily adjusted to receive plates of differentsizes, and means are also provided whereby the parts may be locked while being used to receive and hold a successive number of plates.

The invention comprises certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts whereby it is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted for the purposes for which it is intended and whereby other important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a plateholder constructed in accordance with my i11- vention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a plate in position thereon, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 indicates a suitable framework, which may be composed of strips or rails having a solid covering 2 extending over the whole surface thereof.

Bars 3 are secured to the inner sides of the rails 1 and cross each other at the center, where they are riveted or otherwise securely fastened together, and these bars are adapted to receive guide blocks or sleeves 4:, which are caused to move upon the bars 3 simultaneously through rods 5, which secure the guide blocks or sleeves together.

The upper and lower guide blocks or sleeves are provided with clamping devices 6, which are adapted to receive and hold the plate in place therein, and the upper guide block or sleeve is provided with a threaded opening to receive a screw 7, which may be screwed against the face of the bar 3, and thus hold the parts in any desired position within its capacity.

As the clamps are spread apart to adjust themselves to the different sizes of plates and their attached guides or sleeves moved upon the bar the guides or sleeves upon the other bar will be drawn toward the center or moved away therefrom, according to the size of the plate to be received.

The clamps 6 comprise a plate 0, secured to the sleeves or collars 4E, and the edges of these plates are bent over, so as to engage the edges ofthe dry-plate, a spring 6 being located within each of said plates 6 in such manner that the intermediate portions thereof will bear upon the dry-plate and so retain it in position.

It will thus be seen that my invention provides in a simple and inexpensive manner a dry-plate holder which is so constructed as to receive and hold plates of various sizes, and as the plate is at all times facing outwardly or to the front, it will always be in focus no matter how thick the glass may be of which the plate is made, and by reason of the setscrew being adapted to engage the bar the clamps may be secured in one position for any desired length of time. It is possible also to retain or hold plates of irregular size or shape, and by constructing the frame sufficiently large plates of the largest size can be received and held therein as effectually as those of the smallest size, and the wearing parts may be adjusted to the focus of any ground glass with little or no trouble and may be used on any sized camera.

Modifications may be made without departing from the essential features of my invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but reserve the right to make such changes and alterations therein as may fairly fall within its spirit and scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A holder for the purpose described comprising a frame, two rigid cross-bars secured to said frame, a sliding guide block or sleeve arranged upon the end portions of each of said cross-bars, rods extending between and secured to each pair of adjacent blocks or sleeves and causing a simultaneous movement of all of said blocks or sleeves, and clamps arranged upon two of the guide blocks or sleeves upon one bar and adapted to receive and hold a plate, substantially as described.

2. A holder for the purposes described,com-

prising a frame having bars secured thereto JOHN F. SHORT.

lVitnesses:

E. R. RUSSELL, W. L. BAsKET'r. 

